How MINET is helping teachers get access to expensive medical care

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Over the past year and a few years before that, generally starting by the time tens of Kenyans perished at Kinunga explosion, Kenyans have generally agreed that most of us are one serious medical condition away from poverty. That is, a number of Kenyans are living such that if a serious illness would befall them, or befall some other person so close to them, then that illness would send them straight to poverty. And this is because the majority of Kenyans, including the so-called middle class, don’t have a basic insurance plan other than NHIF – and NHIF is mostly for those that are formally employed. There is some good news though, our teachers aren’t as disadvantaged as most of us thanks to MINET, and this has been exemplified by stories from three remarkable teachers.

We first meet Charles Machimbo Macheso who in 1999 fell into a ditch and got admitted in Bungoma general hospital for two months before a doctor advised him to refer to Mediheal Eldoret. At Mediheal it was discovered that one of his ribs had gone out of backbone and lodged in his muscles. The doctors did a surgery to remove the rib. The medical expenses at Mediheal Eldoret were enormous for Charles, but during the course of his admission at Mediheal he heard of Minet and registered immediately. For the full story of Charles Macheso, watch his testimony in the video below.

Secondly, we have the story of Jasmine Zasu, a teacher in Kilifi county and a mother of a five-year-old daughter who has been diagnosed with hemiparesis (a weakness of one side of the entire body – close of half paralysis), forcing the daughter to under Occupational Therapy. To get treatment for her daughter, Ms Zasu started by going to Coast General Hospital then later to Mombasa Occupational and Hand Therapy where she used to pay Kshs 1,000 in cash for every session her daughter attended – and the daughter needed three sessions a week. Later Ms Zasu joined TSC and met a Mr Collins from MINET who advised her that she could get MINET to cater for her daughter’s Occupational Therapy bills. After joining MINET, Ms Zasu was referred to be taking her daughter to Agha Khan hospital where her daughter is now getting her therapy without having to pay a dime – well, except for the premium she has to pay to MINET for her and her daughter’s medical cover. According to Jasmine Zasu, MINET has saved her the worry of calling for fundraising, as, if she was to pay cash at Agha Khan, she could be required to pay Kshs 18,000 every month for her daughter’s treatment. Ms Zasu’s story is in the video below.

Lastly, we meet Beth Adhiambo Onyango who was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22, and that was just last year. After her diagnosis, she went through a number of chemotherapy sessions which her mother paid for in cash. However, after doctors at Agha Khan scanned her lungs and found that the cancer cells were no longer there, they advised her to do a full body scan, a scan she needed to do in India. Her mother could not foot the bill but lucky for her she got wind of MINET who stepped in to help Beth get the scan she needed. Once in India, Beth was scanned and pronounced cancer free. Her testimony is in the video below.

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